Election Coordinator Sherry Polsgrove (right) stands by Tuesday morning as local voters cast their vote for a special election to approve or deny a zoning ordinance for a proposed Walmart Neighborhood Market in western Russellville. (THE COURIER / Joshua Mashon)

Early voting began Tuesday for a special election to approve or deny a zoning ordinance for a proposed Walmart Neighborhood Market in western Russellville.

According to the Pope County Election Commission, 359 people cast ballots in the first day of early voting. Early voting will continue from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Friday and on Monday at the Pope County Election Headquarters, located at 1509 East Main Street. Voting will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on election day, Aug. 13.

Russellville residents took to the polls in a special election resulting from a referendum petition circulated earlier this year. The petition seeks to overturn the zoning ordinance passed by 6-2 by the City Council in April that established a planned unit development (PUD) and allows for construction of a Neighborhood Market along West Main Street at South Vancouver Avenue.

The proposed development first came before the Council last year. The Planning Commission heard the Walmart zoning request twice last fall, rejected the plan when the request was to move the zoning on the lot at West Main and Vancouver from residential to commercial, and then approved the request when Walmart asked that the property be zoned as a PUD.

The City Council then decided in December to delay discussion on the issue until January, when newly-elected aldermen would take office. The Council in February sent the zoning ordinance back to the Planning Commission for reconsideration and possible recertification.

The Planning Commission discussed the issue at a March meeting and declined to recertify the vote, instead issuing a white paper and passing the issue back to the City Council.

At the Council’s March meeting, some aldermen appeared ready to move forward despite a request by Walmart officials to delay the matter until April to allow more time to review changes aldermen made to the ordinance ahead of the meeting.